Tornado hits Arkansas, Illinois. 4 dead, dozens injured
A massive storm hit the South and Midwest on Friday, spawning deadly tornadoes that destroyed homes and shopping centers in Arkansas and knocked over a theater roof during a heavy metal concert in Illinois.
At least one person was killed and more than 20 injured in the Little Rock area, officials said. The town of Wynn, in northeastern Arkansas, was also devastated, and officials reported her two dead, collapsed homes and people trapped in rubble.
A tornado in Belvidere, Illinois, collapsed a theater roof, killing one person and seriously injuring 28, officials said. The Belvidere Police Department said the collapse occurred when a severe storm hit the area and received a call from the theater at 7:48 p.m. Initial assessments said the tornado caused the damage.
The collapse occurred at the Apollo Theater during a heavy metal concert in the town about 70 miles (113 km) northwest of Chicago.
Belvidere Fire Chief Sean Shaddle said 260 people were at the venue. He also said first responders had to rescue someone from an elevator and tackle a downed power line outside the theater Told.
Belvidere Police Chief Shane Woody described the scene after the collapse as “chaos, complete chaos.”
Part of the ceiling collapsed as Gabrielle Lewellyn entered the theater.
“We were there a minute before we got off,” she told WTVO-TV. “When I got close to the building, the wind went from 0 to 1,000 within five seconds.”
Some people rushed to lift the collapsed section of the ceiling and pull people out of the rubble, Lewellyn said.
“When someone was dragged out of the rubble, I sat with him, held his hand, and said to him, ‘It’ll be fine.'” I really don’t know what else to do. I did not know. “
More twisters were confirmed in Iowa, and wind-blown grass fires in Oklahoma. The storm system threatened large swaths of the country of about 85 million people.
Destructive weather came as President Joe Biden Witnessed the aftermath of a deadly tornado It hit Mississippi a week ago and the government promised to help the region recover.
The Little Rock tornado hit the western part of the city first, destroying a small shopping center, including a Kroger grocery store. He then crossed the Arkansas River North into Little Rock and the surrounding cities, where extensive damage was reported to homes, businesses and vehicles.
In the evening, Pulaski County officials announced that a death had been confirmed in North Little Rock, but did not immediately provide further details.
Baptist Health Medical Center-Little Rock officials told KATV in the afternoon that 21 people had been checked in with injuries from the tornado, five of them in critical condition.
Mayor Frank Scott Jr., who announced he was requesting help from the National Guard, tweeted in the evening that property damage was extensive and that he was “still working on it.”
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders has mobilized 100 members of the Arkansas National Guard to help local governments respond to damage statewide.
Little Rock resident Niki Scott took refuge in her bathroom after her husband called to say a tornado was on its way. After a tornado passes by and she hears the sound of breaking glass, she leaves the house only to find that her house is hers, one of the few that does not have trees down on the street.
“You’re right. It got very quiet, but then it got really loud,” Scott said afterwards, as chainsaws roared and sirens blared in the area.
At Clinton National Airport, passengers and workers temporarily took refuge in restrooms.
Sanders, who declared the state of emergency, tweeted: “Prayers for everyone on this stormy road.
The small city of Wynn, Arkansas, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) west of Memphis, Tennessee, saw widespread tornado damage, Sanders confirmed.
St. Francis County coroner Miles J. Kimble told the AP by phone Friday night that he was assisting the cross county coroner in Wynn and that the tornado killed two people.
At a briefing with Little Rock officials Friday night, the governor said the death toll could rise.
City Councilwoman Lisa Powell Carter told the Associated Press that the town of Wynn had no power and the streets were filled with debris.
“I’m panicking trying to get home, but I can’t get home,” she said. “The Wynn is so demolished…houses are destroyed and trees are down in the streets.”
The relentless tornado continued spawning and landing late into the night.
The Covington, Tennessee police department said on Facebook that power lines and roads had fallen trees when the storm passed Friday night, rendering the western Tennessee city impassable.Tipton, north of Memphis County officials said the tornado appeared to have landed near the middle school in Covington and elsewhere in the rural county.
Tipton County Sheriff Shannon Beasley said on Facebook that homes and structures were severely damaged.
The tornado moved through parts of eastern Iowa, causing sporadic damage.
One tornado turned just west of Iowa City, home of the University of Iowa. Video from KCRG-TV showed collapsed utility poles and roofs tearing apart an apartment building outside Coralville and causing extensive damage to homes in the City of Hills.
About 90,000 customers in Arkansas were without power, according to poweroutage.us, which tracks outages.
In neighboring Oklahoma, gusts of up to 60 mph (96 km/h) ignited fast-moving grass fires. People were urged to evacuate their homes in northeast Oklahoma City, and portions of Interstate 35 were closed.
Ben Wagner, chief radar operator for the Woodford County Emergency Management Agency in Illinois, said the hail broke windows of cars and buildings in the Roanoke area, northeast of Peoria. Over 109,000 customers were without power as of Friday night.
Power outages were also reported in Iowa, Missouri, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Indiana and Texas.
Firefighters fought several fires near Eldorado, Kansas, and some residents, including about 250 elementary school students who transferred to high school, were evacuated.
At Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, a traffic management program was put in place, delaying arriving flights by an average of nearly two hours, WFLD-TV reported.
The National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center is forecasting an unusually large thunderstorm, with possible hail and gusts of wind and powerful tornadoes that could travel long distances across the land.
Such “intense supercell thunderstorm As temperatures rise around the world, it is expected to become more common, especially in the southern states.
The Japan Meteorological Agency is predicting another severe storm next Tuesday in the same general area as last week.
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A massive storm hit the South and Midwest on Friday, spawning deadly tornadoes that destroyed homes and shopping centers in Arkansas and knocked over a theater roof during a heavy metal concert in Illinois.At least one person was killed and more than 20 injured in the Little Rock area, officials said. The town of Wynn, in northeastern Arkansas, was also devastated, and officials reported her two dead, collapsed homes and people trapped in rubble.A tornado in Belvidere, Illinois, collapsed a theater roof, killing one person and seriously injuring 28, officials said. The Belvidere Police Department said the collapse occurred when a severe storm hit the area and received a call from the theater at 7:48 p.m. Initial assessments said the tornado caused the damage.
The collapse occurred at the Apollo Theater during a heavy metal concert in the town about 70 miles (113 km) northwest of Chicago.
Officials are working on-site at the Apollo Theater after a severe spring storm hit during a concert in Belvidere, Illinois late Friday, March 31, 2023.
Matt Merton/AP
Belvidere Fire Chief Sean Shaddle said 260 people were at the venue. He also said first responders had to rescue someone from an elevator and tackle a downed power line outside the theater Told.
Belvidere Police Chief Shane Woody described the scene after the collapse as “chaos, complete chaos.”Part of the ceiling collapsed as Gabrielle Lewellyn entered the theater.”We were there a minute before we got off,” she told WTVO-TV. “When I got close to the building, the wind went from 0 to 1,000 within five seconds.”Some people rushed to lift the collapsed section of the ceiling and pull people out of the rubble, Lewellyn said.
“When someone was dragged out of the rubble, I sat with him, held his hand, and said to him, ‘It’ll be fine.'” I really don’t know what else to do. I did not know. “More twisters were confirmed in Iowa, and wind-blown grass fires in Oklahoma. The storm system threatened large swaths of the country of about 85 million people.Destructive weather came as President Joe Biden Witnessed the aftermath of a deadly tornado It hit Mississippi a week ago and the government promised to help the region recover.The Little Rock tornado hit the western part of the city first, destroying a small shopping center, including a Kroger grocery store. He then crossed the Arkansas River North into Little Rock and the surrounding cities, where extensive damage was reported to homes, businesses and vehicles.
Homes are damaged and trees are down after a tornado hit Little Rock, Arkansas, on Friday, March 31, 2023.
Andrew DeMiro/AP
In the evening, Pulaski County officials announced that a death had been confirmed in North Little Rock, but did not immediately provide further details.Baptist Health Medical Center-Little Rock officials told KATV in the afternoon that 21 people had been checked in with injuries from the tornado, five of them in critical condition.Mayor Frank Scott Jr., who announced he was requesting help from the National Guard, tweeted in the evening that property damage was extensive and that he was “still working on it.”
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders has mobilized 100 members of the Arkansas National Guard to help local governments respond to damage statewide.Little Rock resident Niki Scott took refuge in her bathroom after her husband called to say a tornado was on its way. After a tornado passes by and she hears the sound of breaking glass, she leaves the house only to find that her house is hers, one of the few that does not have trees down on the street.”You’re right. It got very quiet, but then it got really loud,” Scott said afterwards, as chainsaws roared and sirens blared in the area.At Clinton National Airport, passengers and workers temporarily took refuge in restrooms.Sanders, who declared the state of emergency, tweeted: “Prayers for everyone on this stormy road.The small city of Wynn, Arkansas, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) west of Memphis, Tennessee, saw widespread tornado damage, Sanders confirmed.
Homes were damaged after a tornado hit Coralville, Iowa, on Friday, March 31, 2023.
Ryan Foley/AP
St. Francis County coroner Miles J. Kimble told the AP by phone Friday night that he was assisting the cross county coroner in Wynn and that the tornado killed two people.
At a briefing with Little Rock officials Friday night, the governor said the death toll could rise.City Councilwoman Lisa Powell Carter told the Associated Press that the town of Wynn had no power and the streets were filled with debris.”I’m panicking trying to get home, but I can’t get home,” she said. “The Wynn is so demolished…houses are destroyed and trees are down in the streets.”The relentless tornado continued spawning and landing late into the night.The Covington, Tennessee police department said on Facebook that power lines and roads had fallen trees when the storm passed Friday night, rendering the western Tennessee city impassable.Tipton, north of Memphis County officials said the tornado appeared to have landed near the middle school in Covington and elsewhere in the rural county.Tipton County Sheriff Shannon Beasley said on Facebook that homes and structures were severely damaged.The tornado moved through parts of eastern Iowa, causing sporadic damage.
One tornado turned just west of Iowa City, home of the University of Iowa. Video from KCRG-TV showed collapsed utility poles and roofs tearing apart an apartment building outside Coralville and causing extensive damage to homes in the City of Hills.About 90,000 customers in Arkansas were without power, according to poweroutage.us, which tracks outages.In neighboring Oklahoma, gusts of up to 60 mph (96 km/h) ignited fast-moving grass fires. People were urged to evacuate their homes in northeast Oklahoma City, and portions of Interstate 35 were closed.
A car overturned in a Kroger parking lot after a severe storm hit Little Rock, Arkansas, Friday, March 31, 2023.
Andrew DeMiro/AP
Ben Wagner, chief radar operator for the Woodford County Emergency Management Agency in Illinois, said the hail broke windows of cars and buildings in the Roanoke area, northeast of Peoria. Over 109,000 customers were without power as of Friday night.Power outages were also reported in Iowa, Missouri, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Indiana and Texas.Firefighters fought several fires near Eldorado, Kansas, and some residents, including about 250 elementary school students who transferred to high school, were evacuated.At Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, a traffic management program was put in place, delaying arriving flights by an average of nearly two hours, WFLD-TV reported.
The National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center is forecasting an unusually large thunderstorm, with possible hail and gusts of wind and powerful tornadoes that could travel long distances across the land.Such “intense supercell thunderstorm As temperatures rise around the world, it is expected to become more common, especially in the southern states.The Japan Meteorological Agency is predicting another severe storm next Tuesday in the same general area as last week.
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https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tornadoes-strike-arkansas-illinois-4-dead-dozens-injured/ Tornado hits Arkansas, Illinois. 4 dead, dozens injured